Intro: Eternal life is present both here and now, as well as in every moment we walk into the future. That’s because King Jesus and his Kingdom is within us and living in righteousness reveals them both actively manifesting in our lives. “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17). So, when we allow the Spirit to help us remain in Christ’s righteousness through our right attitudes and actions, we are experiencing miraculous signs of Christ’s presence, as well. Please don’t forget peace and joy are Kingdom experiences. “From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another” (John 1:16). Are you enjoying Christ’s abundance?
Just prior to our passage for today, Jesus fed a crowd of people—five thousand men plus women and children—with five barley loaves and two fish. Talk about making an abundant meal for the masses from a snack! Even after experiencing this abundance from the hand of Jesus, people struggled to believe he was the King of Glory. In order to see the Kingdom, a person must be born again of the Spirit (John 3:3). However, even Spirit-filled believers may struggle a bit to see abundance, because everything in the Kingdom is about what the King of Glory does for us, not about what we do.
In our passage for today, Jesus tells the people following him to spend their energy seeking the Kingdom of eternal life. It’s as if Jesus is saying, “You thought the fish dinner was great, but press in deeper because you ain’t seen nothing yet!” So, please, “Seek first the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously and he will give you everything you need” (Mat 6:33).
John 6:26-35 NLT 26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”
28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do? “
29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
30 They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? 31 After all, our ancestors ate manna while the journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat’”
32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”
35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the abundance you came to bring us; we certainly need everything you have promised to provide. Thank you for being our daily Bread and for quenching our dry thirsty souls with your vibrant eternal life. This world drains us, but you fill us up to running over. We love you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.